As a client, or terminal, roams from one access point of a network to another access point, the client may encounter a drop in connectivity or a gap in communication. When switching to a new access point, the client performs a variety of house-keeping or handshaking operations before establishing a connection with the network at the new access point. In general, wireless networks have seen an increasing demand for Quality Of Service (QOS) and security features that both contribute to the house-keeping or handshaking operations. Clients may consequently expend a significant amount of time to establish a proper environment with an access point to permit the connection with the wireless network.
When a client connects with an access point in a wireless network, the client undergoes an authentication process with the access point and/or network prior to connection, and this authentication process typically consumes a significant amount of time. During authentication, the client typically communicates with an authentication server, that may be a part of the access point or may be separate from the access point, and the client mutually authenticates with the authentication server. At the successful completion of a mutual authentication, the authentication server notifies the access point of a successfully completed authentication and transfers enough of the authentication information to the access point to allow secure communication between the client and the access point (e.g., the client can decrypt encrypted communication from the access point and the access point can decrypt encrypted communication from the client). Although the client is allowed to communicate with the authentication server during authentication, the access point denies all other communication between the client and the network, and when switching from one access point to a new access point of the network, the client may experience gaps or delays in communication with the new access point as a result of the authentication process. Each time a client roams to a new access point, the new access point treats the client as a new arrival, and any on-going applications between the client and the network typically experience interruptions from the delays related to the authentication process of a new arrival.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a network system having reduced authentication delays when a terminal roams from one access point to another access point in the network system. In addition, it is desirable to provide a secure access point for a wireless network having reduced authentication delays with secure switching between access points for an authorized client. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.